English
Translation : Dr. Vivek Monteiro
We live in
a scientific age. From the time we wake till the time we sleep at night there
is not a single thing that we can do without the help of science. We wake up,
take a toothbrush, apply toothpaste, and turn on the tap at the washbasin. Take
note- none of these things were available in Maharashtra a hundred years back.
There were no toothbrushes, no tooth paste and no washbasins. At that time you
would have to use a twig from a tree and water from a well. And many of you may
have a degree in science. And after telling you all this at this university in
Maharashtra, I will ask a simple question and wait for ten seconds. Anyone may
answer the question. The question is - number one : the importance of
scientific temper is stated in our constitution. Number two- ‘developing
scientific mindset’ is mentioned as a core objective in our national education
policy. Number three- ‘scientific outlook’ has been included in value
education. Number four- ‘scientific temper is the foundation of the scientific
age in which you live. And number five, the philosophic foundation of the
science education that you have received is the scientific temper. So, can
anyone tell me, in one word, what is this, so important,‘scientific temper’?
Like, in
school, we are asked to write synonyms of words. If asked ‘aqua’, we write
‘water’. If asked ‘sun’, we write ‘sol’. If the word is ‘luna’, we write the
synonym ‘moon’. So, listening to my speech, think for a moment and write a
synonym for ‘scientific temper’. My experience is that in 99 percent of the
universities in Maharashtra, 99 percent of the time, there is no answer to my
question, and if there is an answer, it is incorrect. In short, ‘scientific
temper’ means, to ‘investigate causes and effects’, it means ‘rational
causality’. Number one - behind every phenomenon, there are causes. Number two
– my intelligence can comprehend these causes. Number three- though we do not
today know the causes of every phenomenon in the world, but whenever and
however they will be understood, I also can understand how they will be
understood because of rational causality, and Number four- this is the most
reliable way known to mankind of gaining authentic knowledge.
Until
humankind acquired scientific temper, humans were only another weak species in nature.
‘ Behind whatever happens in my life, there is God, there is destiny, there is
fate, there is accumulated indulgence, there is karmic consequence, the sins of
past lives, the time of my birth- as long as humankind was unaware of rational
causation, these were various kinds of beliefs held by humans. Then we humans
discovered rational causality, and went from being dominated to becoming
independent, from being subject, to becoming free. And mind you, this was an
extremely important and extremely exciting event in the history of humankind.
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें